Jimmy Thelin (managerial suggestion)



Not sure how we can expect to get a foreign manager when we don’t even have an airport.
Rimario said:
Being Swedish and following Allsvenskan very closely (due to work and due to supporting Mjällby AIF... never heard of that club have you? ;)) I think I can add a lil bit of info on Jimmy Thelin. He's highly rated in Sweden but not hailed as the next big thing (to go out and succeed in Europe), a genius or anything like that... Also his style of play is very, very focused on trying to conquer the ball in the right areas and then strike with blistering speed (no doubt Elfsborg has been very good and successful doing just that, with a squad very suited for that style of play). Even when they've been playing at home against teams in the middle of the table or even lower, they've often been more than happy to have below 50% possession. Not that sure that style of play will marry perfectly with the squad we have, even with players like Roberts, Clarke, Ba... Thelin hasn't really proved he can or is willing to play another style, so do we want to be 'locked' to be playing like that - often sitting quite deep - which sometimes can look and be quite passive if the opponents decide to just knock it about. I don't think I do.

Also the man - and this is not meant to be negative, it's just the way he is - is quite... darn boring, as a character. Not a 'big problem' up here in Sweden (even if many think he's very boring to listen to), but I can imagine he'd really struggle to get the supporters on his side by being charming and/or convincing doing media. Also I have real doubts that he'd be able to command and enthuse a squad at this level in England. He's not very Neil Warnock'y, if I put it that way. On the very opposite side of the spectrum. There were two managers in Sweden I think was ready for the Championship. The one most suited just went to QPR (Cifuentes). The other one being Malmö FF:s Rydström. The two we've been linked to (Hellberg and Thelin), not so much. I think they'd both be failures at Sunderland which would be a shame as it'd be fun for me seeing a Swede manage my club in England.
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From Allsvenskan, only Malmö’s coach would be able to handle a club of our size.
 
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1,97 goals scored per match last season (3rd best).

26 conceded, in 30 matches (best in Allsvenskan).

I've been following Allsvenskan aswell, and it's fair to say that Elfsborg wasn't the favourite to win the league, but they challenged Malmö (the clear favourites), until the last minutes of the campaign, for the title.

I honestly don't think, that the style of play would be a problem.
 
Rimario said:
Being Swedish and following Allsvenskan very closely (due to work and due to supporting Mjällby AIF... never heard of that club have you? ;)) I think I can add a lil bit of info on Jimmy Thelin. He's highly rated in Sweden but not hailed as the next big thing (to go out and succeed in Europe), a genius or anything like that... Also his style of play is very, very focused on trying to conquer the ball in the right areas and then strike with blistering speed (no doubt Elfsborg has been very good and successful doing just that, with a squad very suited for that style of play). Even when they've been playing at home against teams in the middle of the table or even lower, they've often been more than happy to have below 50% possession. Not that sure that style of play will marry perfectly with the squad we have, even with players like Roberts, Clarke, Ba... Thelin hasn't really proved he can or is willing to play another style, so do we want to be 'locked' to be playing like that - often sitting quite deep - which sometimes can look and be quite passive if the opponents decide to just knock it about. I don't think I do.

Also the man - and this is not meant to be negative, it's just the way he is - is quite... darn boring, as a character. Not a 'big problem' up here in Sweden (even if many think he's very boring to listen to), but I can imagine he'd really struggle to get the supporters on his side by being charming and/or convincing doing media. Also I have real doubts that he'd be able to command and enthuse a squad at this level in England. He's not very Neil Warnock'y, if I put it that way. On the very opposite side of the spectrum. There were two managers in Sweden I think was ready for the Championship. The one most suited just went to QPR (Cifuentes). The other one being Malmö FF:s Rydström. The two we've been linked to (Hellberg and Thelin), not so much. I think they'd both be failures at Sunderland which would be a shame as it'd be fun for me seeing a Swede manage my club in England.
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I'd take a boring bloke who doesn't try to be charming over a smarmy little know it all like Beale.
 
Rimario said:
Being Swedish and following Allsvenskan very closely (due to work and due to supporting Mjällby AIF... never heard of that club have you? ;)) I think I can add a lil bit of info on Jimmy Thelin. He's highly rated in Sweden but not hailed as the next big thing (to go out and succeed in Europe), a genius or anything like that... Also his style of play is very, very focused on trying to conquer the ball in the right areas and then strike with blistering speed (no doubt Elfsborg has been very good and successful doing just that, with a squad very suited for that style of play). Even when they've been playing at home against teams in the middle of the table or even lower, they've often been more than happy to have below 50% possession. Not that sure that style of play will marry perfectly with the squad we have, even with players like Roberts, Clarke, Ba... Thelin hasn't really proved he can or is willing to play another style, so do we want to be 'locked' to be playing like that - often sitting quite deep - which sometimes can look and be quite passive if the opponents decide to just knock it about. I don't think I do.

Also the man - and this is not meant to be negative, it's just the way he is - is quite... darn boring, as a character. Not a 'big problem' up here in Sweden (even if many think he's very boring to listen to), but I can imagine he'd really struggle to get the supporters on his side by being charming and/or convincing doing media. Also I have real doubts that he'd be able to command and enthuse a squad at this level in England. He's not very Neil Warnock'y, if I put it that way. On the very opposite side of the spectrum. There were two managers in Sweden I think was ready for the Championship. The one most suited just went to QPR (Cifuentes). The other one being Malmö FF:s Rydström. The two we've been linked to (Hellberg and Thelin), not so much. I think they'd both be failures at Sunderland which would be a shame as it'd be fun for me seeing a Swede manage my club in England.
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Very good, informative post. How do you think he would deal with teams that like the stay deep, like when we played against Cardiff? I would have thought that with Elfborg in second in the Swedish league he'd have come across many sides like that, although I know nothing about Swedish football
 
Saw his team win 4-1 away to Djurgården last season and they were excellent. As they were a couple of years ago when they won 3-0 in Stockholm. Very good on the break, usually playing off a big number 9.
 
Rimario said:
Being Swedish and following Allsvenskan very closely (due to work and due to supporting Mjällby AIF... never heard of that club have you? ;)) I think I can add a lil bit of info on Jimmy Thelin. He's highly rated in Sweden but not hailed as the next big thing (to go out and succeed in Europe), a genius or anything like that... Also his style of play is very, very focused on trying to conquer the ball in the right areas and then strike with blistering speed (no doubt Elfsborg has been very good and successful doing just that, with a squad very suited for that style of play). Even when they've been playing at home against teams in the middle of the table or even lower, they've often been more than happy to have below 50% possession. Not that sure that style of play will marry perfectly with the squad we have, even with players like Roberts, Clarke,  Ba... Thelin hasn't really proved he can or is willing to play another style, so do we want to be 'locked' to be playing like that - often sitting quite deep - which sometimes can look and be quite passive if the opponents decide to just knock it about. I don't think I do.

Also the man - and this is not meant to be negative, it's just the way he is - is quite... darn boring, as a character. Not a 'big problem' up here in Sweden (even if many think he's very boring to listen to), but I can imagine he'd really struggle to get the supporters on his side by being charming and/or convincing doing media. Also I have real doubts that he'd be able to command and enthuse a squad at this level in England. He's not very Neil Warnock'y, if I put it that way. On the very opposite side of the spectrum. There were two managers in Sweden I think was ready for the Championship. The one most suited just went to QPR (Cifuentes). The other one being Malmö FF:s Rydström. The two we've been linked to (Hellberg and Thelin), not so much. I think they'd both be failures at Sunderland which would be a shame as it'd be fun for me seeing a Swede manage my club in England.
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Think most of us would be happy for the opposition to have the majority of possession
 
Rimario said:
Being Swedish and following Allsvenskan very closely (due to work and due to supporting Mjällby AIF... never heard of that club have you? ;)) I think I can add a lil bit of info on Jimmy Thelin. He's highly rated in Sweden but not hailed as the next big thing (to go out and succeed in Europe), a genius or anything like that... Also his style of play is very, very focused on trying to conquer the ball in the right areas and then strike with blistering speed (no doubt Elfsborg has been very good and successful doing just that, with a squad very suited for that style of play). Even when they've been playing at home against teams in the middle of the table or even lower, they've often been more than happy to have below 50% possession. Not that sure that style of play will marry perfectly with the squad we have, even with players like Roberts, Clarke, Ba... Thelin hasn't really proved he can or is willing to play another style, so do we want to be 'locked' to be playing like that - often sitting quite deep - which sometimes can look and be quite passive if the opponents decide to just knock it about. I don't think I do.

Also the man - and this is not meant to be negative, it's just the way he is - is quite... darn boring, as a character. Not a 'big problem' up here in Sweden (even if many think he's very boring to listen to), but I can imagine he'd really struggle to get the supporters on his side by being charming and/or convincing doing media. Also I have real doubts that he'd be able to command and enthuse a squad at this level in England. He's not very Neil Warnock'y, if I put it that way. On the very opposite side of the spectrum. There were two managers in Sweden I think was ready for the Championship. The one most suited just went to QPR (Cifuentes). The other one being Malmö FF:s Rydström. The two we've been linked to (Hellberg and Thelin), not so much. I think they'd both be failures at Sunderland which would be a shame as it'd be fun for me seeing a Swede manage my club in England.
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Not really looking for someone charismatic, just someone to be effective with our team.

If his side play direct and on the front foot, winning the ball back quick - it sounds reminiscent to how we played under Alex Neil. We did alright then.
 
SAFC Wilks said:
Not really looking for someone charismatic, just someone to be effective with our team.

If his side play direct and on the front foot, winning the ball back quick - it sounds reminiscent to how we played under Alex Neil. We did alright then.
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As a fan base I think we are probably more suited to that style rather than what we have played this season with the exception of the last two games.
 
LukeJH96 said:
As a fan base I think we are probably more suited to that style rather than what we have played this season with the exception of the last two games.
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There's also the forward planning element.

Sure, you might need a possession based style in your locker to get up. But as your dominant style of play it is going to lead to a few problems the year after, in the big league, when you'd be going some to get 40% plus in most games.
 

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